52 Weeks in the California Garden (Paperback)

by Robert Smaus (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Make the most of the Golden State's unique climate and planting conditions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Los Angeles Times Syndicate Books; Third Printing edition (July 23, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883792118
• ISBN-13: 978-1883792114
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #236,285 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect book for those who need to know what works when., December 4, 1998

By A Customer

This is an invaluable guide for gardeners in So. California. Since we are in a very unique area there is much about gardening everywhere else that does not apply here. For instance, this is the first time I ever heard that the primary time to plant in So Ca is not in the spring, but in the fall! This guide tells you exactly what you can plant, when it is best planted, and what really grows and what doesn't do well. It's essential to my favorite pastime, flower gardening!

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent., July 12, 1999

By	Stephen M. Bainbridge "www.professorbainbridg... (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you live in Los Angeles, you need this book. Smaus is the garden writer for the excretal Los Angeles Times and one of its sole redeeming virtues. Smaus covers a range of topics, including plantings suggested for our area and timing of various tasks. Unlike most gardening books, which are written for East Coast or Mid-West audiences, and which are generally unhelpful for our unique climate, Smaus' advice has proven consistently accurate. The book's sole flaw is the lack of an index. Because the articles are short and there is a detailed table of contents, this is not a major problem. Highly recommended.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book written in and for my own backyard, July 15, 2001

By	Shari L. Ross (Whittier, Ca USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The combination of this book plus Sunset's Western Garden Book will arm the southern California garden enthusiast with all the tools and experience necessary to give a green thumb's up. A true plant geek will find validation and a friend in Smaus' and will read the book saying "been there, loved that". Activities like hoarding plants bought from the Huntington Garden's May plant sale struck a familiar chord.

A transplant to Southern Cal. will quickly gain the inside track to where to go and what to plant to make the best of this unique climate.